In a search of the patented prior art the applicant has found the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Brooks, 2,388,596; Chalfin, 2,447,160; Bokovoy, et al, 2,434,903; Jensik, et al, 4,985,655; Mooney, et al, 4,540,908; Morse, et al, 4,494,033; Myers, et al, 4,273,399; Wood, et al, 3,518,460; Craig, et al, 3,278,695; Wolfskill, 2,635,199.
The majority of these patents illustrate relatively flexible means for mounting of piezo-electric crystals with secondary means of providing the energy transmission thereto. None, however provide a flexibly conductive compressive element as the connector.
Applicant's device provides an elastic, flexible, resilient compressive coupling for conduction of energy to and from piezo-electric crystals which includes ane elastic mounting of the crystal and thus a completely electrically noiseless energy coupling to the rear side thereof for the transmission and receipt of energies of the desired frequency to and from the crystal. The coupling may be termed surface conductive to supply the proper energy to the entire rear side of the crystal and means are provided to apply pressure thereto for damping of the crystal to reduce ringing or oscillatory effects. Experimentally applicant has found it possible to produce an intrinsically collumated sound beam from a random collection of electrodes on the back face of a high frequency polycrystalline ceramic piezo-electric transducer.
Applicant's structural system then eliminates maximum and minimum nodal intensities, stray harmonic frequencies and side lobes to permit operation at fundamental frequencies of the transducer thus allowing optimal sonic energy return from the target non-linear material.
The thickness of the flexible connector is minimized such that a relatively small length of transmission to control pad diameter ratio exists to insure oscillation of the crystal only at the fundamental frequency of the crystal. In this manner then the crystal acts as an array of small edge-supported transducers having no possibility of oscillation at frequencies other than this fundamental frequency. It is necessary that the overall crystal be flexibly edge-mounted to insure that all transducer/detectors vibrate in the same fashion for reproducible results.
It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to provide a means for mounting a piezo-electric crystal and maintaining conductive, flexible, resilient energy connection therewith for the transmission of and receipt of collimated sound beams therefrom and thereto.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a structure for mounting of a piezo-electric crystal and energizing the same through a flexible, resilient conductor in a manner to control or limit the crystal oscillation to a desired fundamental frequency.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a flexible mounting structure for a piezo-electric crystal which includes a flexible, resilient energy conductor therebehind which conductor is elastic to permit and provide for pressure application thereto for prevention of unwanted crystal oscillation and insure transmission and receipt of a collumated sound beam at desired non-interfered frequencies.
These and other objects and advantages of the applicant's invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and disclosures.